Patent Application
20250221578
The present application relates generally to a splash guard. More specifically, the present application relates to a splash guard for a bathtub.
Young children often bathe in a bathtub. However, young children often get excited and begin to play, which often results in the child splashing water from the bathtub. This may result in a supervising adult getting wet or large volumes of water being ejected from the bathtub and onto the floor. The large volumes of water on the floor may cause the floor to become slippery, which may result in a safety issue.
The inventor has identified numerous deficiencies and problems with the existing technologies in this field. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these identified deficiencies and problems have been solved by developing solutions that are structured in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, many examples of which are described in detail herein.
In general, embodiments of the present disclosure provided herein include apparatuses to provide for improved splash guards, such as splash guards for a bathtub.
In various aspects, a splash guard for a bathtub includes a first panel and a second panel. The first panel may include a water barrier material and at least one first magnetic element positioned on or proximate to a midline defined by the splash guard. The second panel may include a water barrier material and at least one second magnetic element positioned on or proximate to the midline.
In various examples, both of the at least one first magnetic element and the at least one second magnetic element is configured as a permanent magnet.
In various examples, the at least one first magnetic element or the at least one second magnetic element is configured as a permanent magnet and the other of the at least one first magnetic element or the at least one second magnetic element is configured as a magnetically attractive element.
In various examples, the at least one first magnetic element extends substantially along a length of the first panel such that a ratio between a length of the at least one first magnetic element and the length of the first panel is at least 7:10, and the at least one second magnetic element extends substantially along a length of the second panel such that a ratio between a length of the at least one second magnetic element and the length of the second panel is at least 7:10.
In various examples, the at least one first magnetic element comprises a plurality of first magnetic elements that are distributed evenly along a length of the first panel, and the at least one second magnetic element comprises a plurality of second magnetic elements that are distributed evenly along a length of the second panel.
In various examples, each first magnetic element of the first panel is spaced from an adjacent first magnetic element of the first panel by an approximate distance that is at least one inch and up to twelve inches, and each second magnetic element of the second panel is spaced from an adjacent second magnetic element of the second panel by an approximate distance that is at least one inch and up to twelve inches.
In various examples, the at least one first magnetic element is positioned on a bottom portion of the first panel, and the at least one second magnetic element is positioned on a bottom portion of the second panel.
In various examples, the at least one first magnetic element is positioned on a top portion of the first panel, and the at least one second magnetic element is positioned on a top portion of the second panel.
In various examples, the at least one first magnetic element is encased within the water barrier material of the first panel, and the at least one second magnetic element is encased within the water barrier material of the second panel.
In various examples, the first panel comprises a pocket defined by the water barrier material, the at least one first magnetic element is positioned within the pocket of the first panel, the second panel comprises a pocket defined by the water barrier material, and the at least one second magnetic element is positioned within the pocket of the second panel.
In various examples, the first panel comprises a first negative pressure device positioned on a bottom portion of the first panel and proximate to a distal corner of the first panel, and the second panel comprises a second negative pressure device positioned on a bottom portion of the second panel and proximate to a distal corner of the second panel.
In various examples, the first panel comprises a first plurality of holes positioned on a top portion of the first panel, and the second panel comprises a second plurality of holes positioned on a top portion of the second panel.
In various examples, the water barrier material of the first panel is coupled to the water barrier material of the second panel at a location that is proximate to a top end of the splash guard.
In various examples, the water barrier material of the first panel and the water barrier material of the second panel comprise polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) plastic.
In various aspects, a splash guard for a bathtub includes a first panel and a second panel. The first panel may include a water barrier material, a first plurality of holes positioned on a top portion of the first panel, at least one first magnetic element positioned on or proximate to a midline defined by the splash guard and positioned on a bottom portion of the first panel, and a first negative pressure device positioned on the bottom portion of the first panel and proximate to a distal corner of the first panel. The at least one first magnetic element may be encased within the water barrier material of the first panel. The second panel may include a water barrier material, a second plurality of holes positioned on a top portion of the second panel, at least one second magnetic element positioned on or proximate to the midline defined by the splash guard and positioned on a bottom portion of the second panel, and a second negative pressure device positioned on the bottom portion of the second panel and proximate to a distal corner of the second panel. The at least one second magnetic element may be encased within the water barrier material of the second panel.
In various examples, the at least one first magnetic element extends substantially along a length of the first panel such that a ratio between a length of the at least one first magnetic element and the length of the first panel is at least 7:10, and the at least one second magnetic element extends substantially along a length of the second panel such that a ratio between a length of the at least one second magnetic element and the length of the second panel is at least 7:10.
In various examples, each first magnetic element of the first panel is spaced from an adjacent first magnetic element of the first panel by an approximate distance that is at least one inch and up to twelve inches, and each second magnetic element of the second panel is spaced from an adjacent second magnetic element of the second panel by an approximate distance that is at least one inch and up to twelve inches.
In various examples, the first panel comprises a pocket defined by the water barrier material, the at least one first magnetic element is positioned within the pocket of the first panel, the second panel comprises a pocket defined by the water barrier material, and the at least one second magnetic element is positioned within the pocket of the second panel.
In various examples, the water barrier material of the first panel is coupled to the water barrier material of the second panel at a location that is proximate to a top end of the splash guard.
In various examples, the water barrier material of the first panel and the water barrier material of the second panel comprise polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) plastic.
The above summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the present disclosure in any way. It will be appreciated that the scope of the present disclosure encompasses many potential embodiments in addition to those here summarized, some of which will be further described below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
Having thus described certain example embodiments of the present disclosure in general terms above, non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the subject disclosure are described with reference to the following figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale and wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. The components illustrated in the figures may or may not be present in certain embodiments described herein. Some embodiments may include fewer (or more) components than those shown in the figures.
One or more embodiments are now more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout and in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. It is evident, however, that the various embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. It should be understood that some, but not all embodiments are shown and described herein. Indeed, the embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and accordingly this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements.
As used herein, the term “exemplary” means serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. In addition, while a particular feature may be disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes” and “including” and variants thereof are used in either the detailed description or the claims, these terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”
As used herein, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
As used herein, the terms “coupled,” “fixed,” “attached to,” and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, or attaching, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attaching through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein.
As used herein, the term “positioned on” refers to a first component being positioned on a second component such that they make contact.
As used herein, the term “proximate to,” “near,” or the like, refers to a first component being positioned within three inches, such as within two inches, such as within 1 inch of the other component or area specified.
As used herein, terms of approximation, such as “approximately,” “substantially,” or “about,” refer to being within manufacturing or engineering tolerances. For example, terms of approximation may refer to being within a five percent margin of error.
Referring now to
Each of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 may define a rectangular or square shape and may have a vertical length L when the splash guard 10 is in an operational position (e.g., installed within a bathtub 510 (
The first panel 11 and the second panel 12 may be configured similarly in that they may be mirror images of each other. As such, throughout the present disclosure, a description of only the first panel 11 and components thereof are often provided. However, it should be understood that the description of the first panel 11 and components thereof may also apply to the second panel 12 and components thereof.
Each of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 may define a top portion T and a bottom portion B. When the splash guard 10 is in the operational position, the top portion T may be positioned above the bottom portion B. The splash guard 10 may define a midline M. When the first panel 11 is joined with the second panel 12, and the splash guard 10 is in the operational position, the innermost edges of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 may be positioned on or proximate to the midline M.
Each of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 may include a water barrier material 13. The water barrier material 13 may be substantially transparent. In various examples, the water barrier material 13 may include at least some portions that may not be substantially transparent but may include artistic designs. The water barrier material 13 may comprise a plastic, such as polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) plastic or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The water barrier material 13 may be nonporous such that the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 are impermeable (i.e., waterproof). For example, the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 may be completely impermeable along the length L and width W of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12, except for an area that includes a plurality of holes 14 that are positioned proximate to a top end of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12.
In various examples, the water barrier material 13 may not be completely nonporous. For example, the water barrier material 13 may comprise a polyester fabric, a nylon fabric, or a combination thereof, making the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 substantially impermeable (i.e., water resistant) along the length L and width W of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12, except for the areas where the plurality of holes 14 are located.
In various examples, each hole 14 is configured to allow a hanging mechanism 530 (
In various examples, each of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 includes at least one magnetic element 15. Each magnetic element 15 may be configured as a magnet, such as a permanent magnet, or may be configured as a magnetically attractive element. For example, at least one magnetic element 15 may be configured as a magnet and may comprise of a ferromagnetic material, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, alnico, ferrite, or a combination thereof, and may retain its magnetization after an external magnetic field is removed. At least one magnetic element 15 may be configured as a magnetically attractive element and may comprise of a ferromagnetic material that does not retain its magnetization after an external magnetic field is removed.
In various examples, the first panel 11 may include at least one first magnetic element 15a and the second panel 12 may include at least one second magnetic element 15b. At least one of the at least one first magnetic element 15a or the at least one second magnetic element 15b may be configured as a permanent magnet and the other of the at least one first magnetic element 15a or the at least one second magnetic element 15b may be configured as a magnetically attractive element. In various examples, at least one of the at least one first magnetic element 15a and at least one of the at least one second magnetic element 15b are both configured as permanent magnets.
Each first magnetic element 15a may correspond to a second magnetic element 15b. For example, each first magnetic element 15a may be similarly positioned along a length of the respective panel 11,12 as a corresponding second magnetic element 15b. Both the first magnetic element 15a and the corresponding second magnetic element 15b may be positioned near proximal edges of the respective panel 11, 12 (i.e., innermost edges of the respective panel 11, 12).
Each first magnetic element 15a and corresponding second magnetic element 15b may be magnetically attracted to each other. As such, when each first magnetic element 15a of the first panel 11 is positioned near a corresponding second magnetic element 15b of the second panel 12, the first magnetic element 15a of the first panel 11 may move toward the second magnetic element 15b of the second panel 12 because of the magnetic forces between each first magnetic element 15a and corresponding second magnetic element 15b. Therefore, when the first panel 11 is at least partially separated from the second panel 12, the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 may move towards each other when at least one of the first magnetic elements 15a of the first panel 11 is positioned near a corresponding second magnetic element 15b of the second panel 12.
In various examples, a seal may be formed at least between each first magnetic element 15a of the first panel 11 and the second magnetic element 15b of the second panel 12. As will be appreciated in light of the present disclosure, the seal that may be formed between each first magnetic element 15a of the first panel 11 and corresponding second magnetic element 15b of the second panel 12 may prevent water from permeating through the splash guard 10.
In various examples, one of the at least one first magnetic element 15a may extend along a substantial portion of the length L of the first panel 11 and a corresponding second magnetic element 15b may extend along a substantial portion of the length L of the second panel 12. For example, a ratio between a length of a first magnetic element 15a and the length L of the first panel 11 may be at least 7:10, such as at least 8:10, such as at least 9:10. Having a ratio between the length of the first magnetic element 15a and the length L of the first panel 11 of at least 7:10 has various benefits. For example, this configuration may increase the surface area of the seal between the first magnetic element 15a and corresponding second magnetic element 15b, which may increase the impermeability of the splash guard 10.
In various examples, the first panel 11 comprises a plurality of first magnetic elements 15a and the second panel 12 comprises a plurality of second magnetic elements 15b. The first magnetic elements 15a may be distributed substantially evenly along at least a portion of the length L of the first panel 11. For example, each first magnetic element 15a of the first panel 11 may be spaced from an adjacent first magnetic element 15a of the first panel 11 by an approximate distance (e.g., within a half inch tolerance). The approximate distance may be at least one inch and up to twenty-four inches, such as at least one inch and up to twelve inches. For example, the approximate distance between each first magnetic element 15a and an adjacent first magnetic element 15a may be one inch, two inches, three inches, six inches, or twelve inches, to name a few examples. Providing first magnetic elements 15a that are distributed substantially evenly along at least a portion of length of the first panel 11 has various benefits. For example, this configuration may reduce a cost associated with manufacturing the splash guard 10 while maintaining an acceptable level of water impermeability.
In various examples, the first panel 11 includes at least one first magnetic element 15a that is positioned on a bottom portion B of the first panel 11 but does not include any first magnetic elements 15a positioned on a top portion T of the first panel 11. Positioning at least one magnetic element 15a on a bottom portion B of the first panel 11 but none on the top portion T of the first panel 11 may have various benefits. For example, this configuration may reduce a cost associated with manufacturing the splash guard 10 while maintaining an acceptable level of water impermeability.
With reference to
Referring back to
In various examples, the first panel 11 may be permanently coupled to the second panel 12. For example, the water barrier material 13 of the first panel 11 may be sewn or bonded to the water barrier material 13 of the second panel 12 proximate to a top end of the splash guard 10.
In various examples, each of the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 may include a negative pressure device 19, such as a suction cup. Each negative pressure device 19 may be positioned on a bottom portion B of the respective panel 11, 12 and proximate to a distal corner of the respective panel 11, 12. As will be appreciated in light of the present disclosure, providing a first panel 11 and a second panel 12 that includes a negative pressure device 19 has various benefits. For example, when the splash guard 10 is installed within a bathtub 510, the negative pressure devices 19 may create a negative fluid pressure and adhere to a side of the bathtub 510, which may be nonporous. The negative pressure devices 19 may removably couple the splash guard 10 to the side of a bathtub 510 and prevent the splash guard 10 from separating from the side of the bathtub 510, which may prevent water from being splashed outside of the bathtub 510.
Referring now to
In various examples, the splash guard 10 may be installed within the bathtub 510 such that at least a portion of the bottom portion B is positioned within the bathtub 510. The width of the splash guard 10 may completely span a width of the bathtub 510 to prevent water from being splashed from the bathtub 510.
When installed within the bathtub 510, the splash guard 10 may define an inward facing side and an outward facing side. The negative pressure devices 19, when included, may protrude from the outward facing side and adhere to the side of the bathtub 510. The negative pressure devices 19 may prevent at least the bottom corners of the splash guard 10 from being moved relative to the bathtub 510.
The splash guard 10 of the present disclosure has various benefits. For example, the splash guard 10, which may include a waterproof or water-resistant water barrier material 13, may prevent water that is within the bathtub 510 from being splashed outside of the bathtub 510. In various examples, the magnetic elements 15 of the splash guard 10 may cause each panel 11,12 to join and create at least a partial seal between each panel 12 of the splash guard 10, which may result in a splash guard 10 that is waterproof or water-resistant at least along a total width of the splash guard 10. Further, when the splash guard 10 includes negative pressure devices 19, the negative pressure devices 19 may prevent at least the bottom corners of the splash guard from being moved. As such, the negative pressure devices 19, when positioned on opposite ends of the bathtub 510, may allow the splash guard 10 to cover most of the opening of the alcove in which the bathtub 510 may be positioned within, which increases the amount of water that is prevented from being splashed from the bathtub 510. Therefore, because the splash guard 10 prevents water from being splashed from the bathtub, the likelihood that a supervising adult becomes wet, or the floor becomes wet and slippery, is reduced.
Additionally, the splash guard 10 may allow quick access to children within the bathtub 510 by a supervising adult. For example, the magnetic elements 15 may removably couple the first panel 11 to the second panel 12 such that a small amount of force can be used to at least partially separate the first panel 11 and the second panel 12. As such, a supervising adult can pull the first panel 11 and the second panel 12 apart, which allows the adult access to a child within a bathtub 510.
The above descriptions of various embodiments of the subject disclosure and corresponding figures and what is described in the Abstract, are described herein for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It is to be understood that one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that other embodiments having modifications, permutations, combinations, and additions can be implemented for performing the same, similar, alternative, or substitute functions of the disclosed subject matter, and are therefore considered within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims below. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
